Homebrew Crocolith Species Details

Crocoliths are a rather terrifying people to most. Possessed of terrifying, long-jawed visages and enormous statures, as well as more than well-equipped to crack open the bones of great beasts, most initially conceive of Crocoliths as terrifying savages who would willingly go to war for nothing more than food or violence. However, while their menacing appearances and colossal strength are no embellishment, Crocoliths are a surprisingly peaceful people. 

Cold-blooded by nature, Crocoliths prefer warmer environments, but specifically ones that have large sources of water. Swamps are common, but savannahs are also a common place to find them. Typically they live their lives from these sources of water, building primitive homes on the banks, within small muddy caves, or across large dams that they make themselves.

Rest and Relaxation

On account of their requirement to continually watch their temperature, Crocolith lifestyles tend to allow ample time for what most species would call simple laziness. Whether it’s for an hour or two or more, Crocoliths prize their “sun time,” when they simply sit in the sun and relax, recharging themselves in that vital warmth. Outside of these periods of downtime, though, Crocoliths tend to work at whatever they’re doing with alacrity, taking pleasure in their jobs and working at rather respectable paces.

Disturbing this downtime, though, is generally unwise. Crocoliths are ready, willing, and more than able to defend their time if they so choose, on account of requiring it for simple survival. A Crocolith with sun deficiency is often more sad, sluggish, generally depressed, and overall more prone to lashing out at the creatures around them.

Unflappable Patience

Related to the alligators, caimans, gharials, and crocodiles of the wilds, Crocoliths share their cousins’ penchant for ambush– a skill that requires immense patience. Indeed, these crocodilian fellows possess that same patience, and an ability to hold onto an idea for as long as they need to. Be it a long time spent on a painting, or waiting for something to cook over multiple hours, a Crocolith will wait for as long as it takes to finish whatever it is they are attempting to do.

This patience applies to goals both positive and negative. Records exist of Crocoliths that who have held great patience in military ambushes, holding positions for hours and hours as they lay in wait. Others speak of Crocoliths who have held onto legislative plans for years as they waited for the right time to push them forward. Still others speak of Crocoliths who have held grudges for almost decades, waiting for the exact right moment to strike at the object of their spite.

Prolific Parents

Crocoliths hatch from eggs that are laid in clutches which can range anywhere from three to ten eggs. Not all of these eggs hatch, typically only eight or nine of ten, but even still, Crocolith parents must be well-equipped to deal with their incoming hoard of young. And, thanks to their sizes, they are generally good at this. Crocolith young mature rather quickly, reaching adulthood in about ten years.

Hopeful Polymaths

Crocoliths find great enjoyment in learning a variety of skills that may (or may not) work with each other. Much of a Crocolith’s life is focused around finding whatever their place is in the world, and from there how to be most comfortable in that place, so Crocoliths tend to apply themselves in a range of fields that interest them– obviously in between sun times.

Cooking, music, and combat are three of the most common crafts of Crocolith culture, and many of the species seek renown in each. Crocolith dishes are passed down from mentor to student, and always involve a great amount of meat on account of their carnivorous diets. Musical instruments are made regularly, and oftentimes their construction and their use are considered separate arts. Combat is generally learned with a greater urgency, as it is rather important to the survival of many Crocolith clans, but even then it is still practiced with the hope of achieving mastery, as opposed to simple defense.

Creating Your Character

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player's Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Life Span

As a Crocolith, you have a lifespan of up to one-hundred-and-fifty years of age. Most Crocoliths live to around this age thanks to their calmer, less conflict-oriented lifestyles. Crocoliths tend to reach maturity at around age 10.

Height and Weight

Crocoliths are generally around eight feet tall, and have been documented weighing in excess of one-thousand pounds, commonly around 1600. Should you wish to use random modifiers to determine these statistics for your character, roll 2d6. Then:

• Add inches equal to the result if the result rolled is even.
• Subtract inches equal to the result if the result rolled is odd.
• Multiply the result by ten, and then add that many pounds if the result is even.
• Subtract that many pounds if the result is odd.

Crocolith Traits

As a Crocolith, you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Size

You are Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

Bite

You have a fanged maw that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Hold Breath

You can hold your breath for up to an hour at a time.

Reptilian Build

You have advantage on Strength-based ability checks and Strength saving throws. In addition, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

If you are in an environment that is too cold (as judged by your DM, but commonly mountain peaks and tundra reaches), you suffer a variety of deficiencies:

• Your walking speed decreases by 10 ft.
• You suffer disadvantage on Constitution based saving throws and ability checks
• If you are away from a source of warmth for over two hours, such as a fire, you suffer one level of exhaustion. To remove this exhaustion, you must take a Long Rest near a source of warmth, but you do not need to imbibe food or drink.

Natural Armor

You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your base AC is 13 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Patient Payoff

Thanks to your ability to plan and stay patient, you gain proficiency with Nature and Perception.

In addition, if you hit a creature with an attack roll, the creature takes an extra 2d6 damage if you made that attack as part of a readied action. If you ready an action that requires an ability check or a melee or spell attack roll, you have advantage on that ability check or attack roll. If you ready an attack action and you have the Extra Attack feature, you may make additional attacks as usual.